1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to cover plates for electrical outlets and more particularly to a simplified means to cover the face of unattractive electrical sockets and thereby make the outlet more aesthetically pleasing.
2. Background Art
Conventional electrical outlets are made of several components, including a wall box and a receptacle, which is typically composed of pairs of sockets and a yoke. The receptacle is typically attached to the wall box that is typically attached to a framing member inside the wall, and is accessible through a hole cut in the wall. A cover plate having apertures to allow the sockets to protrude is installed over these components, typically with one or two screws. Electrical devices are plugged in by inserting the plug blades through aligned apertures in the cover plate and socket.
A cover plates is installed after construction. It is common practice to remove the cover plate during remodeling or redecorating so that it does not become damaged or defaced with paint drips and splatters, wallpaper paste, or other decorating materials. The conventional cover plate is easily removed by unscrewing the screw or screws that attach it directly to the receptacle. However, the receptacle is not usually removed during remodeling or redecorating because it is hard-wired into the building's electrical system. Consequently, the receptacle and sockets are left exposed and the face of the sockets become covered with paint splatters and the like. If not cleaned immediately, the face becomes permanently defaced, thereby making the electrical outlet more unsightly and conspicuous. Repeated paintings only make the problem worse. Reinstalling the cover plate then emphasized the paint-splattered surface of the outlet, as the defaced socket surface is compared to the pristine surface of the cover plate.
Cover plates are not available in a variety of colors and decorator textures to more closely go with any decor, and sometimes are even covered with wallpaper to match the wall. However, the underlying receptacles and cover plates are made in standard colors, usually beige and dark brown, and unfortunately do not match many decorative cover plates. Because most cover plates allow the face of the sockets to be exposed, such mismatched sockets and cover plates cause the outlets to be more conspicuous. It is desirable, then, to provide a cover plate that can be installed over existing receptacles that covers not only the wall box assembly, but the face of the sockets, too, in order to make the outlet less conspicuous and more attractive.
Decorative cover plates known in the art attempt to make outlets more attractive by attaching a new cover plate to existing cover plates. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,784,277 Darlington describes an ornamental cover for a light switch manufacturable in many colors. The cover is a multilayer pad of adhesively-backed sheets which is adhesively attached to the existing cover plate. When desired, a decorative sheet may be removed, exposing a new sheet. In U.S. Pat No. 4,312,458, Stewart describes a fabric slipcover for an existing cover plate. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,692 Wells describes an outsized cover plate that is screwed over an existing cover plate. Because these decorative cover plates overlay the existing cover plate, these inventions result in a cover that projects farther from the wall than the original cover plate, thereby making the outlet even more noticeable.
More complex devices have been invented to achieve an aesthetically pleasing electrical outlet. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,886 issued to Dierenbach describes an entire wall box assembly to provide an attractive designer-style appearance. The decorative appearance is achieved with the use of a multi-component cover plate requiring a plurality of attachment means to secure the components in place.
The prior art also describes removable paint shields to protect the sockets and cover plates during painting. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,128 Grondin describes a cover that removably adheres to an existing cover plate of an electrical outlet so that the electrical elements are protected during painting. The device completely covers the receptacles such that a plug may not be inserted. Gilchrist describes a paint shield in U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,014 that also covers all exposed surfaces of an electrical outlet. The shield is temporarily attached using suction of adhesives, or with prongs that fit snugly in the socket apertures. While these devices do protect the outlets if installed before painting, they do not remedy the situation where the sockets are already defaced. Similarly, these covers do not provide a means for making the outlets more attractive.
Other patents describe inventions that replace existing cover plates to improve safety of the outlet. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,042 Klinger describes a decorative safety cover plate that replaces the existing plate. This invention comprises a base plate and a decorative face plate that slides between a closed position where the sockets are occluded, and an open position where the sockets are exposed. Barla describes a safety cover plate in U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,426 that replaces the existing cover plate. The plate has manually positionable shutters to occlude the entire socket so that plugs may not be inserted. While improving safety, these devices are multi-component parts that are relatively expensive, more difficult to install, and prone to breaking. They also suffer the same problem as the known decorative cover plates: they project farther from the wall than the original cover plate, thereby making the outlet even more noticeable.
The problem of defacing electrical receptacles during painting is age old, the prior art showing remedies attempting a simpler means to cover the face of unattractive electrical sockets and thereby make the outlet less conspicuous dating back to the early 1900's. Nevertheless, a simple, easily-installed, inexpensive cover plate to make existing outlets more attractive has evaded invention. There exists a long-felt need for a simple, inexpensive way to make electrical outlets more attractive, without having to resort to replacing the receptacle or entire wall box assembly, or making the outlet project even farther from the wall.
The primary objective of this invention is to provide a simplified means to cover the face of unattractive electrical sockets and thereby make the outlet less noticeable. This objective is achieved with the several embodiments described below and in the accompanying claims and drawings. Variations and modifications whish are in the spirit of this invention and known to those skilled in the art are considered to fall within the scope of this patent.